Middlesbrough Supporters Forum is asking generous Boro fans to share a little love with their local community ahead of Valentine’s Day and take a donation for the Middlesbrough Foodbank to the home game against Reading on Saturday February 10th.

‘Fans Supporting Foodbanks’ is an initiative that has been embraced by a number of clubs, including Liverpool, Everton, Newcastle United and Celtic, and is being launched nationally over the next few months.

With the support of Middlesbrough Football Club, the Forum has arranged a donation point close to the North Stand turnstiles for dry and non-perishable foods, or cash donations, to support the invaluable work the foodbank does in the town.

Middlesbrough Foodbank is part of a nationwide network of foodbanks, supported by the Trussell Trust, working to combat poverty and hunger across the UK.

It provides three days’ of nutritionally balanced emergency food to local people who are referred in crisis.

Caroline Walker, chair of Middlesbrough Supporters Forum, said: “When it comes to uniting around a good cause football fans are second to none.

“I know that Boro fans will rally around to donate to the foodbank to ensure that its stocks are replenished and it can carry on helping local people going through a tough time.

“A van will be parked at the stadium from 12 noon until just before kick-off to collect donations so if anyone is coming to the game, whether from Middlesbrough or Reading, we ask that they give generously.”

Soroush Sadeghzadeh, Project Manager at Middlesbrough Foodbank, said: “I’ve always been amazed by the generosity of people who support the work of foodbank. We solely rely on donations in order to provide emergency food for local people in crisis, and I’m really excited about this opportunity.”